Places that should top your 2018 bucket-list

“Where should we go next?” is the most hotly contested topic that dominates more conversations than any other. As self-confessed travel geeks, here's our pick of travel destinations that should be on your bucket-list this year.

CHILE

Our winning country is a sinewy sliver of a nation, isolated from the rest of South America (and indeed the world) by the soaring Andes to the east, the vast Pacific Ocean to the west, the bone-dry Atacama Desert up north and the impenetrable wilds of Patagonia down south. From its disparate extremes to the ever-trendier capital of Santiago at its heart, Chile’s citizens will unite in 2018 to mark 200 years of independence. Thanks to new non-stop flights from London, it’s never been easier to catch a plane, raise a glass of pisco sour and toast the celebration. From the colourful streets of coastal ValparaiÌÂso to the flamingos of San Pedro de Atacama, the peaks of Torres del Paine and even the moai statues of Easter Island, Chile is never short of inspirational.

SOUTH KOREA

South Korea is a compact playground of Asian modernity. High-rises soar in the futuristic capital Seoul, which, in 2017, received a huge facelift with the opening of its Seoullo 7017, a high-line park with cafeÌÂs, bars and libraries along a disused elevated highway. South Korea has embraced its hosting of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, and a new high-speed railway will whisk travellers across the country to the Games. Olympic year or not, South Korea is an unsung wonderland. You can hike up peaks that seem plucked straight from a scroll painting, or surf, swim and sunbathe on sandy beaches along its 1,500-mile coastline.

PORTUGAL

Portugal has emerged from the long shadow cast by Spain, seizing the spotlight as a dynamic centre for art, culture and cuisine. A spate of artfully designed museums has opened in the past two years, there’s now a celebrated microbrewery scene, and rock-star Portuguese chefs are creating culinary buzz from Lisbon to the Algarve (seven new restaurants received Michelin stars in 2017). Heightening Portugal’s appeal are its incredible affordability and its natural wonders: in 2016, more than 300 beaches earned the coveted Blue Flag rating and two new biosphere reserves were named. Even on a short visit here, you can explore its age-old traditions (classic cooking, vineyards, Baroque architecture), and its embrace of the cutting-edge – from open-air graffiti galleries to nightlife driven by performance art.

DJIBOUTI

Positioned for dramatic effect, this petite African nation is in the process of being ripped in three by diverging tectonic plates. Magma seethes beneath ever-thinning crust; Martian-like deserts spew steam from fumaroles; and sunken lake shores glisten with huge salt crystals. In geological terms, this is a sprint finish. But, in human terms, this is spectacularly slow motion – a reason to make travel plans, not cancel them! Add intoxicating culture, beckoning beaches and incredible whale shark diving, and you have even more reasons to hop on a plane, or ride the brand-new train, to witness Mother Nature at her brutal best in 2018.

NEW ZEALAND

Twenty-five years ago, long before it was retrofitted to resemble Middle-Earth, New Zealand began actively attracting adventure-seekers. A suite of trails, the Great Walks, took tramping travellers through some of the world’s most extraordinary wilderness. In 2018, for the first time since the nine-track network was launched, a new Great Walk opens: the Pike29 Memorial Track. This 30-mile route wends between Blackball and Punakaiki on the South Island’s west coast, passing through Paparoa National Park, offering hikers and bikers a sensational experience. Away from active adventures, this is a country where cafeÌÂs and pop-up bars serve artisanal coffee and sublime craft beers on every urban corner. Either way, it’s a wildly exciting place.